Additional Liposuction Four Months After Tummy Tuck with Lipo. Is This Normal or Not?

I had a tummy tuck with liposuction in January and my lower abdomen is swollen my doctor has tried to get fluid out twice but nothing has come out my lower belly looks bloated but feels hard so now he has scheduled me for liposuction is this normal or should I worry?

Doctor Answers 7

Full lower tummy after a tummy tuck isn't normal

May 16th, 2011

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Without examining you, I can't say for certain, but I can say that what is being planned is not the normal course of activities. If you have extra fat, it shouldn't be "hard" so I would worry about undetected fluid or that your muscle repair failed. An ultrasound could define these and could possible find undrained fluid if it is there.

Additional liposuction

May 16th, 2011

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i would start by getting an ultrasound and see if any fluid is there. you may have fat necrosis in that area which takes 6 months to a year to resolve and i would not address that now. you may also have some loosening of the abdominal wall plication. again would love to see preop and postop pictures.

Firmness after liposuction

May 16th, 2011

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Firm areas after liposuction can be several things: swelling, fluid, or fat necrosis. If your surgeon is planning additional liposuction, he may be addressing an area where he feels there is fat he would have liked to get out the first time.

Liposuction Revision Pictures

The blood work performed prior to a surgical procedure depends on how healthy an individual you are and any accompanying medical

May 16th, 2011

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As the opinions above I would also start with imaging studies such as CT scans or ultrasounds. Induration of an area post liposuction may be present 4 months but if it's excessively hard I would be worried about an infection or necrosis of the tissue. Either way without a diagnosis I would not perform any further procedures. It is difficult to say which study to order first without a physical exam, but I would not do liposuction again until I was able to diagnose the source of the hardness in your abdomen.

Fullness after Abdominoplasty

May 16th, 2011

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If there is question of what the fullness is coming from, then I would recommend an imaging study such as ultrasound or CT scan. If your surgeon if confident that the fullness is due to additional fat, then I would likely recommend the liposuction like they have planned. Without knowing the specifics of your case or seeing before and after pictures, it is impossible to give you specific advice.

Tummy tuck

May 16th, 2011

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A tummy tuck can include liposuction in certain areas. The first question would be is the area of concern one that had liposuction. That aside, it is not uncommon to need some liposuction after a tummy tuck

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